leaders

Mogadishu, Somalia — Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmaajo” met Saturday with Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madoobe” in Mogadishu, urging urgent dialogue to resolve escalating disputes over elections and constitutional reform that he warned could tip the country into a constitutional vacuum. The talks centered on Somalia’s political trajectory and the need for an inclusive settlement amid mounting friction over proposed constitutional amendments and…

Munich — European leaders used the Munich Security Conference to step up calls for greater defense autonomy while seeking to stabilize transatlantic ties as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepared to address the gathering, aiming to reassure allies after months of strain under President Donald Trump. Leaders pledged to shoulder more of NATO’s shared burden, casting the push as essential to counter a hostile Russia and to keep the alliance credible. NATO chief Mark Rutte said “a strong Europe in a strong NATO means that…

Somali opposition says ex-president, ex-PM blocked from Mogadishu airport meeting; government cites security breach Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council on Friday accused security forces of preventing former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Rooble from entering Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport to attend a scheduled political meeting, escalating tensions ahead of anticipated talks with the federal government. In a…

Somali opposition says security forces blocked former leaders at Mogadishu airport; government cites security breach MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council on Friday accused federal security forces of preventing former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Rooble from entering Aden Adde International Airport to attend a scheduled political meeting, escalating tensions ahead of anticipated electoral talks with the government. In a statement, the Somali Future…

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed Thursday for the Munich Security Conference, vowing to press European allies on defense burden-sharing while striking a less confrontational tone than Washington deployed a year ago. Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation to the annual security and defense forum, which runs through Sunday in the Bavarian capital. The trip comes amid a delicate moment in transatlantic relations following a bruising year of rhetoric from Washington and a high-profile dispute over Greenland that rattled…

EU leaders pressed for urgent action to cut energy costs and fix the bloc’s border-free single market, warning that European industry risks falling further behind the United States and China if the 27 member states fail to move from rhetoric to results. Gathering at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium’s Limburg province, heads of government acknowledged a shared “sense of urgency” but arrived with divergent prescriptions. “We share a sense of urgency that our Europe needs to act,” French President Emmanuel Macron said alongside…

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — The presidents of Puntland State and Jubbaland are expected to arrive in Mogadishu within hours to join a national consultative conference on Somalia’s electoral process and constitutional reforms, signaling a tentative easing of tensions between the federal government and regional states. Officials said advance teams from the Puntland State and Jubbaland presidencies — largely composed of security personnel — landed Tuesday afternoon at Aden Adde International Airport and are…

Trump links Rep. Ilhan Omar to ISIS in Somalia without evidence, escalating feud WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump on Thursday escalated his long-running attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, suggesting without evidence in a social media post that the Minnesota Democrat is aligned with ISIS leaders in Somalia. On Truth Social, Trump shared a report about recent U.S. strikes on ISIS-Somalia positions in remote mountain caves and appended a caption questioning whether Omar was present “to protect her corrupt ‘homeland.’” U.S.…

Egypt and Turkey seal strategic reset in Cairo, set $15B trade target and align on Gaza cease-fire CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks in Cairo on Wednesday, co-chairing a high-level council that produced new cooperation agreements and a shared call to advance a Gaza cease-fire and reconstruction effort. Following their meeting, the leaders convened the second session of the Egypt–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and oversaw the signing of…

BRUSSELS — Somali-born human rights advocate Hassan Shire met Wednesday with Dr. Khadija Ossoble Ali, Somalia’s ambassador to the Benelux Union and the European Union, to discuss strengthening cooperation on human rights, peacebuilding and civil society engagement in Somalia, participants said. The meeting in Brussels focused on how Somali civil society organizations can work more closely with Somalia’s diplomatic missions abroad to advance justice, accountability and sustainable peace. Both sides underscored their…